Plan to transform former Friends Restaurant in Madisonville gets OK from town panel

A plan to turn the shuttered Friends Restaurant on the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville into a multi-use complex that would include corporate office space and eateries was given a green light by the town’s planning and zoning commission Tuesday night (Dec. 4).

The panel granted businessmen Greg Lala and Steven Guidry, of Dixie RV SuperStores, preliminary approval on a variance needed so the third floor of the structure can be used as office space. The variance also addresses parking requirements.

The proposal will now be forwarded to the Town Council, which has the final say on the variance. At its Nov. 14 meeting, the council expressed support for the concept, which would bring the 27,000-square-foot structure back into commerce.

The building has been unoccupied since Friends closed Jan. 8, 2017, less than two years after it opened and about a month after being taken over by its creditor. The restaurant, which included a reception hall on its third level and a downstairs open-air area for live music, had been a source of controversy in the town of 800 residents.

Many residents complained about parking, noise and litter problems that the large establishment created. They lamented the lack of governmental oversight that allowed it to be constructed. Critics said the development, which represented an investment of about $8 million, changed the face of the quiet town and prompted efforts to reform municipal building regulations.

Since the restaurant shut down, town officials have searched for a palatable way to repurpose the building rather than have it remain an abandoned edifice along the town’s scenic riverfront.

After obtaining ownership of the building, Lala and Guidry said they would relocate their RV dealerships’ corporate office from Hammond to the third floor of the former Friends. Lala told the commission Tuesday night that his company has outgrown its current office space. In addition to its corporate office, Dixie RV SuperStores has locations in Hammond, Breaux Bridge, Defuniak Springs, Fla., Calera, Ala., and Grand Bay Ala., according to its website.

Lala said plans call for leasing the second level of the building to a local restaurateur for use as an “upscale restaurant.” He said he plans to speak with “two or three” restaurateurs who might be interested in opening locations in the riverfront building. The second floor of the building has just under 10,000-square-feet, officials said.

“This is not going to be a fly-by-night restaurateur,” said Lala, a St. Tammany Parish resident. “We don’t want to be Friends (restaurant). We want to be good neighbors.”

The bottom level of the structure would remain a primarily open-air venue, Lala said. Plans are to create a casual eating area with food served from an Airstream concession trailer. He said the lower-level establishment would adhere to the town’s noise ordinance and the food service hours would likely not be any later than 10 p.m.

Commissioners and audience members questioned Lala about parking issues that might arise if his plans come to fruition. He said work hours for the approximately 12 corporate office employees would be roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, times that would not coincide with peak restaurant hours. Because of that, he said Dixie RV employees would not be competing with restaurant patrons for the 43 parking spaces that currently exist for the building.

Before taking up the Friends issue, the commission heard a proposal from the owner of Sawmill Docks, a small marina directly adjacent to the abandoned restaurant and entertainment venue. Erin Poole is seeking the town’s permission to subdivide and rezone an approximately 120-by-200-foot section of the marina for a casual, outdoor-themed “gathering place” that would also serve food and drinks.

Both Lala and representatives for Poole said they would welcome one another’s businesses and could work out any parking issues that may arise since the marina has more than enough parking for its proposed development. The marina proposal is pending before town officials.

Mayor Jean Pelloat, who attended the planning and zoning commission meeting Tuesday, said he favors the concept presented by Lala and Guidry.

“This type of mixed-use development with offices appears to be our best chance to get this building back into commerce,” Pelloat said.

Lala said if given final approval for the variance by the town council, he plans to obtain ownership of the building and begin the conversion early next year.